Hagia Sophia 3D print model

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Human: Hagia Sophia (/ˈhɑːɡiə səfˈfiə/; from the Greek: Αγία Σοφία, pronounced [aɣia sofia], Holy Wisdom; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Ayasofya) was a massive Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica (church), later an imperial mosque, and now a popular museum in Istanbul, Turkey. For nearly one thousand years, it served as the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, with the exception of four years between 1204 and 1261 when it was converted into a Catholic cathedral by the Fourth Crusaders under the Latin Empire. The building was then converted into an Ottoman mosque from May 29, 1453 to March 18, 1931. It remained open to the public for just over a century before being closed in 1931 and eventually re-opened as a museum on February 1, 1935. Famous worldwide for its iconic dome, it is widely considered one of the greatest architectural wonders ever built. The building stood tall as the world's largest cathedral for nearly nine centuries, until Seville Cathedral surpassed it in size in 1520. The Hagia Sophia's construction began on September 23, 532 AD and was completed two years later in 534. Emperor Justinian I commissioned the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles to design the magnificent church that would take its place on the site of the previous two destroyed churches. It took five months to construct a new temple to replace the earlier structure, which was ravaged by rioters in the 2nd century AD. The building is said to be dedicated to the personification of God's wisdom - Logos - as seen in Christ Jesus. Some mistakenly refer to this magnificent building as Sancta Sophia, named after Saint Sophia of Rome, when in fact its true name in Greek is Ναός της Αγίας Σοφίας του Θεού, Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God. For nine hundred years, the Hagia Sophia housed a rich collection of Christian relics and was known for its breathtaking interior decorations that rivaled the beauty of the greatest Romanesque churches. However, its fate would change on May 29, 1453, when it fell under Ottoman rule. Mehmed II ordered the conversion of this once great Orthodox cathedral into a Muslim place of worship within six months of the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans. Unfortunately for Christ's faithful followers in that region, many sacred Christian relics including crosses and icons were ruthfully destroyed or covered with layers of plaster. Despite all odds against it however, The Ottoman Empire built beautiful architectural elements like four imposing minarets at each corner. And just one hundred three years later, The Ayasofya was designated a Museum on March 21st in 1956. Now an incredible and famous destination for over five centuries after its re-open in the spring of 1935 by President Ataturk, with annual tourist attendance totaling almost two-point-four million visitors, this beautiful wonder will be visited daily for thousands more years. The beauty it brought in both styles to Istanbul helped other buildings that copied some of those design features like The Süleymaniye Mosque near Ayasofya. In fact, before the famous Blue Mosque, the first big mosque commissioned by Sultenahmed in 1616 became this massive holy edifice known today. Many historians believe this magnificent and grand building changed architecture itself by giving ideas on the most beautiful places of worship one can design, creating it truly a place we come to learn from throughout all time.